Hiob 34
1 Afei Elihu kae se,
Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
2 “Mo anyansafo, muntie me nsɛm; mo nimdefo monyɛ aso mma me.
“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
3 Efisɛ aso sɔ nsɛm hwɛ sɛnea tɛkrɛma ka aduan hwɛ no.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Momma yɛnsese, nhu nea eye ma yɛn. Momma yɛn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsua nea eye.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
5 “Hiob ka se, ‘Me ho nni asɛm, nanso Onyankopɔn abu me ntɛnkyew.
For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
6 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ mʼasɛm da kwan mu, nanso wobu me ɔtorofo; ɛwɔ mu sɛ menyɛɛ bɔne biara, nanso ne bɛmma no ama me apirakuru a enwu da.’
Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
7 Onipa bɛn na ɔte sɛ Hiob a ɔnom animtiaabu sɛ nsu?
What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
8 Ɔne amumɔyɛfo nantew; na ɔne atirimɔdenfo nso bɔ.
who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
9 Efisɛ ɔka se, ‘Sɛ onipa bɔ mmɔden sɛ ɔbɛsɔ Onyankopɔn ani a onnya so mfaso biara.’
For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
10 “Enti mo mmarima a mowɔ ntease muntie me. Ɛmpare Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔbɛyɛ bɔne, sɛ Otumfo no bɛyɛ mfomso.
So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
11 Nnipa nneyɛe so na ɔhwɛ tua wɔn ka; nea ɛfata ne nneyɛe na ɔma ɛba ne so.
For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
12 Ɛmfata sɛ wɔde mfomso susuw Onyankopɔn, na ɛmfata sɛ wɔde ntɛnkyew susuw Otumfo.
Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
13 Hena na ɔde no sii asase so? Hena na ɔde wiase nyinaa hyɛɛ ne nsa?
Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
14 Sɛ ɛyɛɛ ne pɛ na oyii ne Honhom ne nʼahome a,
If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 anka adesamma nyinaa bɛbɔ mu ayera, na onipa bɛsan akɔ mfutuma mu.
then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
16 “Sɛ mowɔ nhumu a, muntie eyi; muntie nea meka.
If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
17 So obi a okyi atɛntrenee betumi adi nnipa so? Mubetumi abu Ɔtreneeni kɛse no fɔ ana?
Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
18 Ɛnyɛ Ɔno na ɔka kyerɛ ahemfo se, ‘Mo so nni mfaso,’ na ɔka kyerɛɛ atitiriw se, ‘Moyɛ atirimɔdenfo,’
God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 nea ɔnhwɛ mmapɔmma anim na onyiyi adefo ne ahiafo mu, efisɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ ne nsa ano adwuma.
God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Wowuwu mmere tiaa bi mu, wɔ anadwo dasu mu; nnipa no ho wosow na wɔsen kɔ; ahoɔdenfo totɔ a emfi nipa.
In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
21 “Nʼani hwɛ nnipa akwan; na ohu wɔn anammɔntu biara.
For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
22 Baabiara nni hɔ a aduru sum, sum kabii, a amumɔyɛfo betumi ahintaw.
There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 Ɛho nhia Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔbɛhwehwɛ nnipa mu bio, a enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔba nʼanim begye atemmu.
For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
24 Ɔbobɔ abirɛmpɔn gu a ɔnyɛ nhwehwɛmu biara, na ɔde afoforo sisi wɔn anan mu.
He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
25 Efisɛ ohu wɔn nneyɛe, otu wɔn gu anadwo na wɔdwerɛw wɔn.
In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
26 Otua wɔn amumɔyɛsɛm so ka wɔ faako a obiara betumi ahu wɔn,
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
27 efisɛ wɔman fii nʼakyi kɔe na wɔampɛ nʼakwan biara anhwɛ.
because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
28 Wɔmaa ahiafo sufrɛ duu nʼanim na ɛma ɔtee mmɔborɔni su.
In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
29 Nanso sɛ ɔyɛ komm a, hena na obetumi abu no fɔ? Sɛ ɔde nʼanim hintaw nso a, hena na obehu no? Nanso odi onipa ne ɔman so pɛpɛɛpɛ,
When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
30 ɔmma onipa a onnim Nyame nni hene, sɛnea ɔrensum nnipa no mfiri.
so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
31 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa ka kyerɛ Onyankopɔn se, ‘Mayɛ bɔne na merenyɛ bɔne bio.
Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
32 Kyerɛ me na minhu; na sɛ mayɛ bɔne a, merenyɛ saa bio.’
teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
33 So ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn gyina nea woka so tua wo ka, wɔ bere a woayɛ sɛ worennu wo ho ana? Ɛsɛ sɛ wusi gyinae, ɛnyɛ me; enti ka nea wunim kyerɛ me.
Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
34 “Nnipa a wɔwɔ ntease pae mu ka, nimdefo a wotie me ka kyerɛ me se,
Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
35 ‘Hiob nkasa nimdeɛ kwan so; aba biara nni ne kasa mu.’
'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
36 Ao, sɛ wɔsɔɔ Hiob hwɛ kɔɔ akyiri a anka eye, efisɛ oyiyii nsɛm ano sɛ omumɔyɛfo!
If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
37 Ɔde atuatew ka ne bɔne ho; ɔde ahantan bɔ ne nsam gu yɛn so na ɔma ne nsɛm a ɔka tia Onyankopɔn no dɔɔso.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
